The Nationally-Acclaimed Food Scene | Nashville: The ‘It’ City

First GQ called us ‘Nowville,’ then Conde Naste Traveler listed us as a ‘must-visit city.’ Soon after, The New York Times hopped on board, dubbing Nashville the nation’s newest “It City.” Not long after those articles had been published did Nashville make Huffington Post’s list of 20 cities that are ‘must-visits’ in your 20s. These days, Nashville is no stranger to receiving glowing reviews in big time publications. No longer just ‘Music City,’ in more recent times, people are beginning to understand something we have long know about this place we call home: that it is overall just a really cool, unique and awesome place to be.

Join us in our Nashville: The ‘It’ City blog series as we give our top 10 reasons that Nashville is indeed the ‘it’ city that many have dubbed it. This week is week one of our new series! Read on for the first of our 10 reasons that we love Nashville.

How do we love Nashville? Let us count the ways…

Reason #2: The Nationally-Acclaimed Food Scene!

It has been said that the hottest ticket in Music City these days isn’t one of the countless country acts that populate the stages around town – rather, it’s the nationally-acclaimed food scene. Although this city is known for its music, the food scene in Nashville has been giving music a run for its money. Many Nashville restaurants have gained national exposure for being some of the best.

The Catbird Seat, ran by Benjamin Goldberg, co-owner of Strategic Hospitality, thinks city diners are ready to explore beyond the old favorites. He says the food scene has really evolved as a result of so many things – the incredible creative talents here right now, the energy and excitement that surrounds Nashville, the influx of people from other parts of the country moving here and calling Nashville home. Fans quickly took interest in this 20-seat chef’s table style restaurant serving an innovative prix fixe tasting menu.

Many others are also taking note that it’s not just the restaurants that are improving the Nashville food scene, but also that suppliers are providing locally made ingredients. Some restaurants are making a conscious decision to use food from local farms around Nashville as much as possible. Some of these include Burger Up, City House, Etch, and The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden.

Rolf & Daughters is also one of many restaurants that have captured national attention. It is said that outside of New York, no restaurant has received the hero’s welcome that R&D has over the past year. Everything from the space, to the cocktails, to, of course, the food is spot-on. And once you taste their fresh-baked sourdough with the strange briny butter, and bite into that crispy-skinned chicken, you’ll leave waving the Rolf and Daughters flag, too.

This past week the Prime 108 restaurant inside Union Station Hotel was one of the Nashville landmarks singled out in the Forbes Travel Guide ratings. Prime 108, which is under the leadership of Chef Thomas Cook, was given a four-star rating. It is the first time the restaurant landed on the prestigious hospitality industry list. Ray Waters, president of Turnberry Hospitality, said that we are very honored to have Prime 108 recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the world by the well-respected team at Forbes Travel Guide. Prime 108 has long been a Nashville favorite, and we pride ourselves on offering our guests a special and unforgettable experience.

Let’s not forget to mention the highly anticipated restaurant that opened its doors in Nashville last year, Husk. Bon Appetit named Husk the best new restaurant in America the year after it opened in Charleston, SC. It has been called one of the 40 most anticipated openings in the country by Eater.com, and even Vanity Fair posted about Brock’s Nashville hot chicken research. Husk Nashville is in a 19th-century brick home with an arch-top door that makes even contemporary visitors marvel at its original occupants’ wealth.

There are many more restaurants we could rave about but it seems to be evident that the Nashville food scene is one to talk about. Be sure to check out these nationally-acclaimed restaurants!